Corinthia Hotels, the internationally renowned brand of luxury hotels, has launched a range of new healthy eating options for MICE planners and their business travellers, aimed at keeping them physically healthy and mentally focused, developed in collaboration with a leading Nutritional Therapist, Jeannette Hyde.

'Food for Thought' Menus: are Corinthia's new menus for the Meetings and MICE market offering balanced and healthy food and drink ideas that aim to keep the brain sharp.  The menus have been designed by expert nutritionist Jeannette Hyde, who is a degree-qualified Nutritional Therapist trained in Functional Medicine: a patient-centered style of therapy focusing on root causes rather than symptoms.  Each of the nine Corinthia hotels around the world offers their own unique Food for Thought menu based on fresh and (in many cases) local ingredients.

Food for Thought concept:  it's often all too easy for those working in the meetings sector to choose foods and drinks for short-term bouts of energy and concentration – e.g. biscuits, cakes, white bread sandwiches, pastries, fruit juices, coffees and fizzy drinks.  The constant highs and lows in energy to the brain and concentration throughout the day can also have bigger consequences for frequent travellers who might be living this lifestyle day in day out.

Constant dips in sugar in the blood stream can lead to 'adrenal fatigue' where the adrenal glands that produce stress hormones become overworked. This can lead to the body becoming low in key nutrients for the brain (e.g. good omega 3 fats, B vitamins, magnesium and the right proteins, to name a few) as the body prioritises use of these for the more pressing manufacture of stress hormones, adrenaline and cortisol, from the adrenal glands.

In view of the above, the new menus have been designed to help create steady energy for the body for meetings attendees.  This means using protein, whole grains and a rainbow of vegetables with each meal, and also the right fats. The foods will also contain nutrients for the brain that can otherwise become depleted when executives are regularly experiencing low blood sugar levels.  Gluten from foods such as wheat, rye and spelt, has also been removed, as some people experience mood swings with sensitivity to too much gluten.

“By working alongside a nutritional expert we bring a new dynamic not only to our MICE offering but to all our MICE guests as 'individuals' who place health at the top of the agenda in life,” said Carey Duckworth, Director of Global Corporate & MICE Sales, Corinthia Hotels.“We know that if we feel great we will perform much better.  A healthy diet is one of the cornerstones to getting the most out of our days – whether on business or leisure.”

How the menus were developed: Corinthia's skilful and creative chefs took the nutritional principles and transformed them into exciting and delicious Food for Thought menus.    They also kept each hotel destination in mind and used locally-produced and sourced foods where possible to meet the nutritional needs of meetings guests.

Quality protein, especially wild meats, fish and oily fish, are a staple of Food for Thought and chefs celebrated these based on local sourcing wherever possible. For example, at the Corinthia Hotel Lisbon, which has great access to wild meats and is famed for its fish and Mediterranean diet, the menu incorporates grilled rabbit, mackerel, salmon, a rainbow of fresh vegetables and fruits, and olive oil. 

In Malta, the two chefs use guinea fowl, rabbit, oily fish and nutrient-dense vegetables such as sprouting broccoli. They have also embraced nutrient powerhouse grains such as buckwheat, black rice, amaranth, and brown rice.

Corinthia Hotels also offers a dedicated 'Events at Corinthia' programme, which makes nine distinct promises.  This is designed specifically to meet the growing demand for meetings that provide a unique but professional experience.  The nine promises comprise: -

• Enquiries are replied to within three hours, and a proposal is ready within 24 hours
• Dedicated, highly trained event assistant for round-the-clock exclusive support
• Customised web page for the event on corinthia.com
• Complimentary Wi-Fi throughout all Corinthia Hotels
• Cellular phone with pre-programmed local contacts and credit given to event organiser
• Fully prepared event room at least 60 minutes before requested
• Upgraded organiser suite completely free of charge
• Food for Thought menus offering healthy eating choices
• Dedicated Meetings app

The nine individually-designed, distinctive hotels are excellently located in the hearts of some of the most thriving cities in the world – including in London, Lisbon, Budapest, Prague and St Petersburg.  They are fully equipped with luxurious spas, modern gyms, award-winning restaurants and destination bars – the perfect conditions to make meetings that are truly 'worth staying for'.

ENDS 

Media only - for further information contact:
Fiona Harris, fiona.harris@corinthia.com, or tel: +44 (0) 20 7321 3034
Evelien Lemmens, evelien.lemmens@corinthia.com or tel: +44 (0) 207 321 3196

About Corinthia Hotels
Corinthia Hotels is a collection of five-star hotels founded by the Pisani family of Malta.  Established in 1968, the group is a family-inspired business with family values underpinning the Spirit of Corinthia. As a leading hospitality business, Corinthia's focus is on giving honest, discreet service.  They see themselves as craftsmen in the world of hospitality, valuing authenticity, passion, precision and understanding.  Each of the hotels and resorts, in some of the most exciting places in the world, are a tribute to local architecture and cultural traditions.  The Corinthia portfolio includes the flagship Corinthia Hotel in London, as well as award-winning Corinthia Hotels in Budapest, Malta, Prague, St Petersburg, Tripoli and Lisbon. Corinthia Hotels is owned by International Hotel Investments (IHI), a publicly-traded company in Malta. CHI Hotels & Resorts Limited is a wholly-owned member of the IHI Group, which manages Corinthia Hotels. For more information, please visit corinthia.com

Food for Thought – an example menu from Corinthia Budapest:

• COFFEE BREAK: Ginger and green tea jelly, Wholemeal muffins, Muesli and Greek yogurt cocktail, Pistachio and Valrhona Guanaja chocolate bars, Pinzimonio of vegetables with yoghurt and dill, Buckwheat and raspberry cup-cakes, Blackberry and grapefruit yogurt, Pecan and sesame bars
• SOUPS: Red lentil, chick pea & chili soup, Broccoli, spring pea & almond soup, Chunky raw tomato soup with pistachio gremolata, Chilled avocado soup with marinated fennel & chicory
• SALADS: Spring herb & pea sprouts with pomegranate & fresh almonds, Radicchio, red chicory & plum salad with flux seed dressing, toasted pumpkin seeds, Fennel, orange & prawn salad with a pink grapefruit dressing, Chili grilled quail salad with raw Asian greens in a ponzu dressing, Black rice salad with marinated sardines, radish & red amaranth
• MAINS MEAT: Grilled beef fillet, brown rice and puy lentils with garlic and scallions, Poached corn fed chicken breast with saffron & orange on spring vegetable succotash, Charred lamb loin with steamed aubergines & sesame seeds
• MAINS GAME: Roast guinea fowl with red and yellow beets. Grilled rabbit with garlic, mushrooms & rosemary, Venison with roasted butternut squash
• MAINS FISH: Steamed salmon on asparagus, kale & peas, Grilled mackerel on basil & lemon chickpeas, Trout with roasted peppers and shallots, romesco
• MAINS VEGETABLES: Quinoa and chickpeas stew with organic vegetables, Butternut squash quiche with parsley & pecan nuts, Grilled courgette with sprouting broccoli, pistachio, tarragon & chervil
• DRINKS: Blueberry smoothie, Raspberry & mint spring water, Cucumber, spinach & celery juice
• DESSERTS: Grapefruit & lavender sorbet, Roasted fresh figs with honey & ricotta, Roasted fresh apricots with pine nuts, Poached apple in ginger and rosemary 

About Jeannette Hyde
Through Functional Medicine Jeannette might assess your stress hormone levels and how well you are absorbing your food.  A Functional Medicine approach would have you eating the right types of food to balance your stress hormones and eating slowly and mindfully to absorb vitamins and minerals for optimum hormone and brain function. This would not only make you feel better, but potentially sleep better too.  Jeannette consults Corinthia Hotels on nutrition and menu development. She has a private practice in West London and works with patients one-to-one on a range of issues including adrenal fatigue, abdominal adiposity (tummy fat), digestive issues, immunity, and hormone imbalances. She also works with companies on corporate wellness programmes. Jeannette studied at Europe's leading education provider for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), The University of Westminster in London.  She graduated from the four-year Nutritional Therapy degree course with a BSc Honours 2 (1). Jeannette is a member of professional nutritional therapy body BANT and is registered with the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC), which means NHS professionals can make referrals to her. More information on her practice can be found at jeannettehyde.com